Home Care Software Buyer's Checklist for UK Agencies (2026)

Choosing home care software is a big decision. It shapes how carers record visits, how the office plans rotas, how you evidence care to inspectors and how you get paid. This checklist sets out the questions to ask any supplier. Use it to compare options side by side and to make demos focus on what matters to your agency.

How to Use This Checklist

• Agree your must-haves before you book demos
• Send the same questions to every supplier, in writing
• Ask to see each feature working, not just a slide about it
• Involve a carer, a coordinator and someone from finance
• Ask for written answers on pricing and contract terms

Care Planning

• Can you build person-centred care plans, including routines, preferences and what matters to the person?
• Are risk assessments, consent, MCA and DoLS records part of the plan?
• Is there version history, so you can see who changed what and when?
• Can plans be signed electronically by staff, clients or representatives?
• Are review dates tracked, with reminders when they are due?
• If AI drafts plans, does a person review and sign them before they are used?

See what to expect from care planning software.

eMAR and Medication

• Does the eMAR use a recognised medicines database, such as the NHS dm+d?
• Are missed and late doses flagged to the office straight away?
• Does it handle PRN protocols, controlled drugs and topical medicines with body maps?
• Can you track stock and get low-stock alerts?
• Can you produce a MAR chart for any client and period on demand?

Read more about eMAR software.

Rostering and Scheduling

• Does it plan travel on real road distances, not straight lines?
• Does it respect continuity of care and client preferences?
• Are working-time rules and carer availability checked?
• Can it handle double-ups, runs and repeating visit patterns?
• Can you review a draft before it is published to carers?
• What happens when a carer calls in sick: how is cover found?

Carer App

• Is it on both iOS and Android?
• How are check-ins verified: GPS, QR codes or both?
• Does it work offline, in homes with poor signal?
• Can carers record tasks, medication, body maps and notes in the app?
• Can carers speak their notes instead of typing?
• Is there a family app or portal, and can you control what families see?

Ask a carer to try the app during the demo. If they find it hard, it will show in your records.

Compliance and Evidence

• Is there a full audit trail of every change, override and approval?
• Can you set roles and permissions so each person sees only what they should?
• How quickly can you produce evidence for an inspection: visit records, MAR, incidents and training?
• Does it track staff right to work, DBS and training expiry?
• Is the system built around your regulator's framework, such as the CQC's five key questions in England?
• Are care notes checked for safeguarding concerns?

Security and Data Protection

Care records are some of the most sensitive data there is. Ask for evidence, not just assurances:

• Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT): ask for the supplier's latest status, then check it yourself on the DSPT organisation search.
• Cyber Essentials: ask whether they hold Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. Plus adds independent technical testing of their systems on top of the self-assessment.
• ICO registration: check the supplier on the ICO's public register.
• Data Processing Agreement: ask for it before you sign, and read what it says about where data is stored and how it is protected.
• AI controls: if the product uses AI, ask what it can change on its own, what needs a person to approve, and whether every action is logged.

Finance and Payroll

• Are scheduled and actual times reconciled automatically?
• Can it handle your rate sheets, funders and split funding?
• Does it flag overtime and under-time before you approve invoices and pay?
• Can it produce the export formats your councils ask for?
• Does it work with your accounting software, by integration or export?
• Does it handle mileage, expenses and holiday pay?

Support and Migration

• What are the support hours, and is support by phone, chat or email?
• Will you have a named account manager?
• Who moves your data: the supplier, or your own team?
• What data moves (clients, staff, care plans, MAR, rotas, documents and history), and how long does it take?
• Is training included for carers and the office?
• How are feature requests handled, and how often are updates released?

Our guide on how to switch home care software covers the move itself.

Pricing Transparency

Pricing models vary a lot, so compare on the total cost for your agency, not the headline rate:

• Is pricing per staff member, per client, per user seat or a flat fee?
• How are bank and part-time staff charged?
• Is there a minimum number of staff or users?
• Are setup, migration and training one-off fees, and how much are they?
• Which features are add-ons, and what do they cost?
• Will AI features be charged by usage, now or later?
• How long is the minimum term, and what is the notice period?
• Is there a trial or a cancellation window?

Ask for a written quote based on your real staff numbers. If a supplier won't put prices in writing, treat that as a warning sign. For reference, Aim publishes its prices: Aim Care Manager is £15 + VAT per active staff per month. Our home care software pricing guide explains the common pricing models.

Making the Final Choice

Score each supplier against your must-haves, and weigh what carers and coordinators thought of the demo. Ask for a second demo focused on any gaps. Then check the contract terms before you sign.

Sources: Data Security and Protection Toolkit, organisation search; NCSC, Cyber Essentials overview.